Katara snuck off while Zuko was sleeping to update hai and get fresh water to bring back, as well as some food that would be easy for Zuko to eat. She hoped he'd be sleeping still when she got back.

The building itself was so old and looked like it was haunted almost. She sighed going up the stairs hearing every creak every step up to the door. She tried to be as quiet as possible when entering the apartment again but saw the bed empty.

That sneaky bastard.

Katara set the water bucket down and the food on the counter not knowing where the sick teen went. Till she heard him throwing up in the bathroom and heavy coughing following.

"Zuko?! Hey open the door!" Katara ran over and knocked frantically but could hear him still throwing up.

"Zuko let me in come on," she tried open the door but it was locked.

Her heart raced as she didn't hear anything for a few minutes, did he pass out again? Did he hit his head if he passed out?

"Zuko I have water, come out," Katara knocked again.

He finally opened the door looking paler than before and stumbled to the bed before laying down again. Barely giving her a second glance and coughed into his hand.

"Sorry," he coughed.

"Here," Katara poured water into a cup and handed it to him.

Zuko slowly sat up but was still wobbly, he chugged the water immediately but the empty cup slipped from his hand when he tried to set it down and shattered against the floor.

"You okay?" Katara was surprised how fast it all happened.

"You should go," Zuko put a hand over his face. "It's gonna get worse,"

"Zuko you shouldn't be alone when your this sick, you keep passing out and barely can stand," she picked up the pieces of the broken cup as he gripped the bed tightly trying to hold himself up.

"It's fine," he whispered.

"No it's not, we're friends, I won't leave you in this state," Katara told him calmly while she threw the cup away but turned around when Zuko started to cough again, his body shaking.

"Lay back down," she sighed, she felt bad for how sick he got. He laid on his side facing her but didn't go back to sleep.

"You conscious?" Katara raised a brow sitting on the bed.

"I'm dizzy," he huffed.

"Katara?" He looked at her exhausted.

"Yea?" She gulped.

"Did lee or commander give you anything? They usually have herbs or medicine in the infirmary," Zuko asked quietly almost sounding like a child.

"Zuko you know they're not here right?" Katara whispered touching his hair to keep it out of his eyes and off his face.

"Are we already in the infirmary?" He asked.

"... yea, they said they're gonna be gone for a little while so just rest," she couldn't tell him, if he's hallucinating she didn't want to scare him, make him go through all his grief again.

"I just want to go home," he leaned against her.

"I'm so tired, I want to go home and see everyone, I miss them, even zula sometimes," Zuko mumbled and Katara barely could make out what he was saying but nodded anyways.

"I'm sorry, not yet, I want to go home too," she whispered stroking his hair.

"I'm not allowed home," he gulped sounding devastated. But his voice kept getting softer and softer as he mumbled, must've been falling back asleep.

"Your safe now, go to sleep Zuko," Katara whispered even if he was sleeping already.

Katara let him sleep but she couldn't sit still, curiously she looked around the small apartment seeing if there was anything for her to clean but the place seemed spotless, or maybe Zuko didn't have much to keep dirty anyways. She was curious why he didn't sleep in the bedroom and made the living space his room.

She opened the door to the bedroom but it was empty and cold and dark, but it seemed normal otherwise.

"Strange," she shook her head and closed the door.

She unloaded the food and tried to put together an easy meal for Zuko to eat today and tomorrow. Making an easy soup she hoped wouldn't make him feel nauseous.

Katara could hear throughout the day Zuko whimpering and talking in his sleep, a few times he got loud and she almost woke him from his nightmare but he calmed down after a few seconds. He never made sense when he talked in his sleep but she knew he was talking to someone.

She replaced the rag on his head to a new clean one but noticed his journal, he kept it under his bed, he kept it close. It made Katara smile seeing he kept his promise like she was as well. 

She curiously picked it up and set it on the windowsill for him instead. But something in her told her to open the journal, she wanted to know was went inside that head of his.

She opened it to the first page and just saw a list of names. Weird.

Ursa, Lu ten... so many names she didn't understand why until she saw three names that were familiar, cho, marco, Lee. Then she understood it was a list of the people zukos lost in his life. He remembered so many. They were all male names, yet the first name was a woman's. She must've been important.

Quickly Katara closed the journal before she could see something she'd regret. She didn't want to break zukos trust for going through something personal. She went back to the foot of the bed and laid down to look out of the window next to the bed. It wasn't much of a view but the sunlight was nice.

Her eyes felt heavy as she relaxed on the blanket, forgetting her troubles and responsibilities as she drifted off into sleep herself in the quiet apartment.

—

Zuko snapped his eyes open as he gasped for a breath, staring at the ceiling and listened to his surroundings, he remembered where he was.

With a soft groan he pushed himself up, his head felt like bricks and his eyes were dry but he forced himself to sit up against the wall.

Till he noticed Katara sleeping on the foot of the bed curled in a ball while she napped. Her hair fell out of the braid and her dress was tangled around her legs, she must've tossed and turned while she slept. He didn't blame her, the bed wasn't comfortable.

But she stayed?

He didn't know how to wake her so he left the water bender sleeping when he got out of the bed, dragging his feet with as he went to the bathroom to wash up.

She stayed..

"Maybe if you took the time to enjoy yourself and the company around you, you'd be happier," lees voice echoed in his head.

"Someone your age likes your company, be a friend," his brothers voice laughed a little. "You don't have to always be alone,"

"Shut up lee," Zuko scoffed looking over his shoulder but saw no one there.

Oh.

Oh yea, Lee wasn't there anymore.

Zuko poured some water in the sink and splashed the water in his face trying to clean himself from the sweat. He was alone he didn't have his brothers. How could he forget. What an idiot.

"Hey runt, Your not alone," Lee kept teasing him.

He looked in the mirror and pushed his hair back with the water, he looked like he lost more weight, his face felt thin, he took off his shirt and noticed how visible his ribs were now. He kept forgetting meals, sleeping less and less, how long has that been happening? He didnt even realize.

His entire body ached while he stood, the mirror showed a miserable child. He felt sick.

He quickly covered his mouth feeling nauseous and slammed the door close before dropping to his knees and hurling into the toilet.

It felt like the flu, he always got sick so easily. If one person had a cold back with the troops he would get a fever.

"Fuck," he panted dropping back and rested against the wall, dizzy again when he stood.

He slowly made his way to the kitchen and set a small flame to light under his tea pot, putting some water in and waited for the water to boil. He leaned against the counter breathing heavy.

"-ko? Zuko You shouldn't be standing,"

Katara woke up and came to him worried that he was also awake. She placed her hands on his shoulders to steady the taller teen.

"What are You making?" She asked softly.

"Throw anything together to help at this point, peppermint, ginger, camomile, lavender," he grumbled not able to think clearly.

"Let's start with ginger and camomile," she agreed, placing the back of her hand on his forehead, his fever hasn't gone down.

"I got it," he grabbed her wrist.

"You keep saying your fine and you got it but a second later your damn near crying and throwing up, you don't need to act like a tough guy," Katara rolled her eyes not buying it.

"You have to take care of your family and friend, I don't need to be added to that list," Zuko narrowed his eyes down at her.

"Your not a burden, I'm staying cause I'm helping my friend," she grinned.

Zuko gulped but nodded letting her stay. Katara smiled proudly that she won but covered her mouth as she started to break out in a cough.

"You don't sound to good princess," Zuko watched her as she sniffled a little.

"Im not sick and don't call me that," Katara cleared her throat.

"When I get sick I get really sick, hanging around the Ill you probably will catch something, and your the chiefs daughter so, I'm right," Zuko looked at her seeing if there was any other symptoms.

Katara froze when he touched her forehead.

"You don't feel like you have a fever yet, unless water benders run cooler," Zuko tilted his head to the side.

"Do fire benders run warmer than non benders?" Katara asked.

"Yep, so fevers are a blast," he huffed wiping his face.

"I'll finish making the tea, go lay down-" before Katara could finish her sentence Zuko bolted to the bathroom again and slammed the door.

"Before you get sick again," she sighed crossing her arms.

"Gimme a minute," he called back.

"Open a window in here once in a while wont ya?" She sniffled again feeling stuffy. She felt like she was getting a cold now.

"Hey princess you've been here all day, where are the others?" Zuko opened the door and shivered at the coolness.

Katara paused with wide eyes. Oh no. Oh no oh no.

"FUCK I FORGOT!" She screamed making Zuko flinch at the noise.

"Forgot?" He raised a brow. Her hair was a mess and her clothes were wrinkled from the nap before, hope it wasn't something important.

"The earth king! We got to him yesterday after we got appa back! I was suppose to apologize to you then go to the palace and I completely forgot!" She struggled to put her shoes back on but a wave of dizziness hit her.

"Yay you got the earth king and appa in one day," Zuko cheered with no enthusiasm in his voice while he went back to bed.

"Shut up its your fault!" She whined near tears as she took her hair out of the braid and combed it out with her fingers quickly.

"Sorry," he sat with his legs cris crossed on the bed while he waited.

She quickly braided her hair back again but whined when it looked messy still. Taking it out again but groaned in frustration.

"Come over here," Zuko called and pointed to the ground in front of him.

"What?" She huffed and stood in front of him. He stood on the bed and turned her around to braid her hair back seeing her hands were shaking still from anxiety.

"You can braid?" She sniffled.

"I had long hair before I was a criminal," Zuko told her calmly.

"Why'd you cut it?" Katara hugged her body with her eyes down.

"I was angry after my- after Azula tried to arrest me, angry I fell for her promises, it was wet and in my way so I chopped it all off, another kid came around and cut it shorter so it wasn't stupid looking," Zuko explained as he finished the braid. Katara looked at it curiously, it was different than a water tribe braid.

"Thank you," she sighed and straightened her dress out.

"It's the least I can do for ya, especially if I got you sick," he tilted his head to the side.

"I'll come back after I'm done, gotta make sure your not hallucinating still," she smiled.

"What are You not real too?" Zuko laid on his back but she laughed covering her mouth.

"Yea, I'll see You soon idiot," Katara waved as she left down the apartment stairs. Zuko watched the door close as he laid on his side, a heaviness from the silence sank in his chest.

"She never made the tea," he sat up fast remembering.